St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-01-18
THEY RUN THE CITY.
The Board of Trade Decides All About
the Police Commission,
But Come to Loggerheads Over the
Proposed Street Commission.

The board of trade was called to order at 10
O'Clock yesterday morning, the extra hour
being necessary for the consideration of the
report of the committee on legislation, Gov.
Pilsbury presented the report on the pro-
posed police commission. The first arti-
cle providing for the appointment of the COM
mission by the judges of the Fourth Judicial
district, provoked much discussion. The re-
port was finally adopted, section by section,
as read, and Judge Fish was requested to
draw up a bill for presentation to the Iegisla-
ture, based upon the report of the committee.
The report provides tor the appointment by
the judges of the Fourth district OF four
freehoders of the city. who shall have re-
SIDED IN the city at leaS three Y ears preced-
ing their appointment, and not IN ore than two
OF whom shall belong to the same political
party. The gentlemen thus appointed shall be
known as the Minneapolis Police commission.
They shall give $4,000 bonds with two sure
ties to be approved by the council As
part of their official oath they shall promise
not to consider politics as q cause for ap-
pointment on the police force. They shall
have entire charge of the property of the police
department and shall have exclusive control
of the force, making all rules and regulations,
determining all questions of discipline, ETC.,
except at such times as in the opinion of the
couci the interests Of the city shall be best
protected by placing the control of the force
in the mayors hands. The commission shall
appoint all officers and patrolmeu, and with
the cooperation of the council shall fix their
salaI les and at its discretion shall remove any
man from the force. No person shall be
eligible for appointment on the force who
cannot read and write English, who has been
convicted of any crime, or who has not lived
in the city for three years Immediately pre-
ceding his appointment. The commits
sion can appoint special policemen; they
shall have power to subpoena witnesses
and administer oaths, when necessary. in
investigating subjects connected with their
department. The police shall have power to
make arrests and serve warrants, except in
civil processes, anywhere within Hennepin
county. The commission is empowered to
employ clerk to keep their records: they
must make report Of their doings to the
council at least quarterly and they receive no
salary.
On the question of salary there seemed
some difference of opinion. 1t was shown
that in Boston, Baltimore, Detroit and Gin
cinnad the police commissioners were
paid from $1,000 to $4,000 year. An
amendment fixing the pay of the commits
sioners at $1,000, with $500 extra to the chair
man, was voted down and the report was
adopted as read.
The report of the legislative committee on
the scheme for establishing q method of
doing the street work for the city was taken
up. The new scheme provides for the formal
ton OF general street fund by levying q tax
on the whole city, and this fund shall be used
for the care and improvement of the streets
wherever they may need it. Heretofore each
ward has had separate street fund, and the
older wards have established and per-
fected their streets at their own expense.
The section was adopted by q vote of 13 10
II. The second section provides for the
election by the people Of street commits
sioner and defines his duties. 1t was held
that such an officer would have more polit-
zeal power than the mayor now has, for every
man working on the streets would be a
striker for the commissioners would need a
thousand men, and each one would control
i've votes, so there were 5000 votes which
one man could carry in his vest pocket; that
is the way j. I. Wyman figured it, and when
shown an error of 1000 votes in his arith-
metic. he cheerfully accepted the correction.
Gov. PilSbury arose, and to the amuSe-
ment of his auditors assured the board that
the commissioner was to be non-partisau; he
was to be nominated at nOn-partiSan mass
meeting of citizens and was to be elected in
the same spirit that controls the election of
members of the board of education. The
governor ignored a suggestion to the effect
that it was possible to pack his caucus, and
subsidized happy in the belief that this last
child of his imagination was to be the greatest
gift he had yet bestowed upon his misgov-
erned city.
Other gentlemen talked until everybody
was hungry, and the board adjourned to meet
tomorrow afternoon at o'clock, when the
street com missioner matter will be resumed.